Hinged folding square



Patentecl Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED sTATs EDWARD J. ELSAS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSO'URI.

HINGEIJ FOLDING SQUARE.

Application filed October 14, 1924.

This inyention relates to mechanics7 sqnares and more particnlarly tostandard fi'ainin;r sqnares. D

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and etlicient squareof this oharactcr so constrncted 'that the two arms thereof may befolded together in o'rerlappingF relation for conrenience in paolting;and carrying.

Another object is to provide a square of 'this chlirecter etjmipped withmeans for pos itivoly holding,v 'the men'ibers 'theroof at 'the correctangle when open and which. when sabjected to a sndden jolt 01' to nnduestress will automatically collapse without any of its nnitino; parts orits members being .'ained.

rlinother object to provide a .square of this charaeter eqnipped withmeans for auton'iatically reta'ining it t'int and which may be casilytightene'il in case of wear.

liVith the :torcgoing` and other oljects in view which 'Will appear isthe description proceeds, the nvention resides in the combi-- na'tionand arranijeinent of parts and in the details of constructionhereinafter described and claimed, it being nnderstood that changes in'the precise elnbodin'lent of the in- 'ren'tion herein disclosod, may bemade with- :in the scope of what is elaimed without de' parting from'the spirit of the invention.

ln the a ;companying drawings lfig. l represents a plan View of a squareconsti'ncterL 'in accordance with this invention showing ono face of'the square;

Fig'. 2 is a similar View taken from the other face with the arms brokenoff :for conrenienee .in illilstration;

lTig'. 3 is a detaii perspectire 'view of the hing'ed end of one memberof the square;

a is a siniiiar View of the cooperatingl face (if the hinged end of theother inen'iber;

Finis a tranfwerse section taken on the line 5-5 of Pig. L

G is a siniilar view showing` the niema hers in folded position.

Fit; i is a transverse section sl'iowini; the members in foldedposition; and

lfig. 8 is an edge view of 'the long arni of the square taken from theinside; and

9 is a similar View of the short arni.

Tn the embodiment illnstrated, the square 'i is constructed of twohingably connected members or blades 52 and 8 which in general aresimilar 'to those of an ordinary square, being; thicher at their inner01.' connected Serial No. 743,602.

ends and gradually tapering towai'd their enter ends. The two members orblades are inai'le thiclier at their enter ed'ges and tapered towardtheir :inner edges as shown in Figs. 3 and Lland they are hingedtogether so that they :may close with one lapping over the other shownin Fig. 6, 'the shorter or snialler blade l lapping over the larger. Thelonger or larger blade 2 is provided on one face thereof with a cut outportion 4 of a width eorresponding to the' width of the snialler blade 3'with a shonlder 5 forined at the inner edge of 'the said seat ll so that when blade 23 :is folded over blade 2 the thin inner edge thereofwill abnt the shonlder 5 and the blade 3 will be substantially flnshwith the portion of blade 2 beyond the shoulder. The seat -l is madedeeper at its inner end g'i'adnally merging' at its enter end fiush Withthe body portion of the blade 2.

The hinnj'ed ends of the blades 2 and. 3 with their opposed Cooperation`faces are shown in ll`.ifi1s. 3 and fiand when orerlapped and' connected appear as shown in Fig'. 6 being united by a heavy short screw 6having its head conntersunk in one or the other of the members. The bodyof this screw is 'threaded through the other member, the thread being'of snch tight fit that the hinge action of the blades cannot loosen it.The adjacent hinged faces of the two members of the square are eachprovided with a shallow space shown at 7 and 8 respectively arrangedover the central area of said faces to provide 'for clearanco and tonei-mit the hinged portion of the two members to be sprnng slig'htlytogether by the tigiiteningI of the scrow which by having a tight threadthrough one meinber and a counter-silni: head in the other provides forthe dra'i'v'ing' tight of the two members at their hinged connectioninsuring the tight retention of the parts and preventinethem from easilyacqniring play or lost Inot'ion.

A non-corrosive thin1 frictionless washer 9 is placed between the hingedfaces of the two members around the serew G to insure easy action at thehinge and `prevent sticking of the members froin the effects ofoorrosion or rns't.

Adjacent the circnlai' seat 8 of the blade 3 near the inner edge thereofis a concentric rib 10 which tapers in thickness from its enter edgeinward and is designed to operate in a similarly shaped seat ll formedin the opposed face of the blade 2 adjacent the seat 7 thereof said rib10 and seat 11 being concentric With the screw 6.

Blade 3 is provided adjacent its seat 8 with a tongue 12 extcnding in aplane substantially at right angles to the rib 10 and which is designedto abut when the meinbers are opened against a shoulder 13 formed at theend of blade 2 as is shown clearly in Fig. 2. Blade 2 has a shoulder 14adjacent its seat 7 near its outer edge against which the edge of theseat carrying portion of the blade 3 abuts when thel nienibers are inopen position as shown in Fig. 2.

The main member or blade 2 is equipped 'with a flat longitudinallyextending spring 15 at its inner edge adj acent its hinged end Thisspring 15 is shown foi'ined by shttnig the blade 2 longitudinally andproviding on the free end thereof a laterally extending lug 16 slightlybevelcd on its onter face 17 and against which the beveled end ofa rib19 on the inner edge of the blade 3 abuts when in open position thusholding the -blades in open relation at right angles to each other. Thelug 16 is spaced inwardly a slight distance froin the free end of spring15 and said end is reduced in thiekness and overlies the beveled 'orinclined track or rib 19 forined on blade 'concentric with the screw 6.This inclined track 19 is made thidker at its outer edge graduallymerging at its inner end into the body of blade This engageinent ofspring 15 with the inclined track 19 holds the members of the squaretightly in open position and Compensates for any possible Wear on themeeting faces of the blades at their hinged connec tion. The track 19 isequipped with a'pln' rality of radiating notches 20 which are clesignedto receive a knife edge 16 carried by lug 16 so that the blades 2 and 3may be held at any desired angle. The notches 20 being niarked accordingto the` angle at which the blades will be held when the lug :is engagedwith them.

The short blade 3 is cquipped with a transverse groove or notch 2] whichis designed to receive the knife edge 16"' of lug 16 when the square isclosed thiis holding the blades against accidenta] separation.

The spring 15 is made broad, thin and longI and is adapted' to slightlybuckle and pern'iit the beveled lug 16 to pass over track 19 when anysudden inward jolt oceurs upon the outer end of either blade so that theblader will collapse and thus aroid injury to the square.

The blades are forined with suitable gradutions disposed along the cdgesthereof.

The notches 20 are also formed with graduations so that readings may bemade with the square.

In the use of this square the parts being in folded position as shown inFig. 6 when it is desired to use the square all that is necessary is toswing the shorter blade Il outward into right angular position relativeto the blade 9 and when it rcaches this position the lug 16 'will snapbehind the beveled end of track 19 and the tongue 12 will abut the endof blade 2 and thus hold the square true and right angled when fullyopened.

To close the square the spring 15 is mored ontwardly to release the lug16 from the end of track 19 and pcrmit the lug to slide over track 19and the blade 3 to be moved inwardly into lapping relation with theblade 2 the lug on the spring snapping into the cross notch on blade 3and looking the blades in collapsed position.

I claini In a nieasuring instrument, pivotally connected Sections, eachsection having a cut out portion, the cut out portions of the scrtionscontacting to provide a hinge jointv` one of said sections being forincdwith a .slit extended longitudinally of the edge of the section, anddefining a spring finger, a lng extending from one end of the springfinger, a rib on the other of said Sections and haring notches forniedtherein adapted to ae connnodate the lug to hold the sections of themeasuring instrument in adjnsted positions, and a Screw cxtendingthrough the :tations to connect the ser'tions.

n tostimony that it i'laim the tort'going as my own, I have herr-toallixed ni sigma ture.

EDWARD J. lLSS.

